People will label you various ways; “nice”, “mean”, “attractive”, “talented”, “clumsy”, etc. Some are welcome…and some aren’t. In the Bible, there’s a lot of people who knew about labels. One of them encountered Jesus while in a lifestyle so “colorful” the entire town knew of it. But when Luke introduces her, she had recently received a new label. Luke records that she went into a dinner gathering at Simon’s house to express her love and gratitude to the Lord. After washing His feet with her tears, she opened an alabaster flask and anointed Him with an expensive, fragrant oil (which created a stir). After making a point with an illustration of creditor and debtor, Jesus turned to the woman and spoke the most important words any of us could ever hope to hear:

“Your sins are forgiven…your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” – Luke 7:48-50 NKJV

As broken, self-centered people, what could possibly compare to the status of “forgiven” as we stand before Holy God? Through gracious love, He’s given us something we could not earn in a thousand lifetimes; followed by the words “Go in peace.” Not only is there a redeemed status, there’s a soul-deep resonance of peace.

In the Christian life, there’s nothing more central to who we are than the precious, costly label of “Forgiven”. How will you wear it today?